Trainer Wesley Ward's freshman sire and grade 1 winner Hootenanny sired his first winner Sept. 16 when his daughter Esken Rose won her debut at Pontefract Racecourse in England.
The filly, bred in Louisiana by Jay Adcock and Hume Wornall, overcame some green running to win by a length. The final time on a good surface was 1:16.39. Esken Rose is owned by Hambleton Racing and trained by Kevin Ryan. She was ridden by Tom Eaves.
Esken Rose is the only foal out of the winning Eskendereya daughter Eskenforandreya, who was bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings and is a half sister to grade 3-placed stakes winner South Bend and multiple stakes winner He's the Reason. The filly was offered at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale, where Lauren Robson bought her for $4,000 from Shawhan Place. Esken Rose was next offered at this year's Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze Up Sale, where Hambleton/Hillen/Ryan bought her for €38,000 (US$53,851).
Hootenanny is a 9-year-old son of Quality Road and winner of the 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) for longtime partners Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor. Prior to the Breeders' Cup, he won the Windsor Castle Stakes at Ascot and was runner-up in the Darley Prix Morny (G1) at Deauville. Ward trained Hootenanny for his entire career, which produced a 5-3-1 record from 16 starts and earnings of $876,698.
Hootenanny stands for a private fee at Ward Ranch in Kentucky.
